Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recordings artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday. She was 88.

She died at home surrounded by her family, publicist Elaine Schock said in a statement. Flack announced in 2022 she had ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig香蕉视频直播檚 disease, and could no longer sing,

Little known before her early 30s, Flack became an overnight star after Clint Eastwood used 香蕉视频直播淭he First Time Ever I Saw Your Face香蕉视频直播� as the soundtrack for one of cinema香蕉视频直播檚 more memorable and explicit love scenes, between the actor and Donna Mills in his 1971 film 香蕉视频直播淧lay Misty for Me.香蕉视频直播� The hushed, hymn-like ballad, with Flack香蕉视频直播檚 graceful soprano afloat on a bed of soft strings and piano, topped the Billboard pop chart in 1972 and received a Grammy for record of the year.

香蕉视频直播淭he record label wanted to have it re-recorded with a faster tempo, but he said he wanted it exactly as it was,香蕉视频直播� Flack told The Associated Press in 2018. 香蕉视频直播淲ith the song as a theme song for his movie, it gained a lot of popularity and then took off.香蕉视频直播�

In 1973, she matched both achievements with 香蕉视频直播淜illing Me Softly With His Song,香蕉视频直播� becoming the first artist to win consecutive Grammys for best record.

A classically trained pianist and who at age 15 received a full scholarship to Howard, the historically Black university, Flack was discovered in the late 1960s by jazz musician Les McCann, who later wrote that 香蕉视频直播渉er voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I香蕉视频直播檝e ever known.香蕉视频直播� Although versatile enough to summon the up-tempo gospel passion of Aretha Franklin, Flack often favored a more reflective and measured approach, as if curating a song word by word.

For Flack香蕉视频直播檚 many admirers, she was a sophisticated and bold new presence in the music world and in the social and civil rights movements of the time, her friends including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Angela Davis, whom Flack visited in prison while Davis faced charges 香蕉视频直播� for which she was acquitted 香蕉视频直播� for murder and kidnapping. Flack sang at the funeral of Jackie Robinson, major league baseball香蕉视频直播檚 first Black player, and was among the many guest performers on the feminist children香蕉视频直播檚 entertainment project created by Marlo Thomas, 香蕉视频直播淔ree to Be 香蕉视频直播� You and Me.香蕉视频直播�

Flack香蕉视频直播檚 other hits from the 1970s included the cozy 香蕉视频直播淔eel Like Makin香蕉视频直播� Love香蕉视频直播� and two duets with her close friend and former Howard classmate Donny Hathaway, 香蕉视频直播淲here Is the Love香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播漈he Closer I Get to You香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� a partnership that ended in tragedy. In 1979, she and Hathaway were working on an album of duets when he suffered a breakdown during recording and later that night fell to his death from his hotel room in Manhattan.

香蕉视频直播淲e were deeply connected creatively,香蕉视频直播� Flack told Vibe in 2022, upon the 50th anniversary of the million-selling 香蕉视频直播淩oberta Flack and Donny Hathaway香蕉视频直播� album. 香蕉视频直播淗e could play anything, sing anything. Our musical synergy was unlike (anything) I香蕉视频直播檇 had before or since.香蕉视频直播�

She never matched her first run of success, although she did have a hit in the 1980s with the Peabo Bryson duet 香蕉视频直播淭onight, I Celebrate My Love香蕉视频直播� and in the 1990s with the Maxi Priest duet 香蕉视频直播淪et the Night to Music.香蕉视频直播� In the mid-90s, Flack received new attention after the Fugees recorded a Grammy-winning cover of 香蕉视频直播淜illing Me Softly,香蕉视频直播� which she eventually performed on stage with the hip-hop group.

Overall, she won five Grammys (three for 香蕉视频直播淜illing Me Softly香蕉视频直播�), was nominated eight other times and was given a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2020, with John Legend and Ariana Grande among those praising her.

香蕉视频直播淚 love that connection to other artists because we understand music, we live music, it香蕉视频直播檚 our language,香蕉视频直播� Flack told songwriteruniverse.com in 2020. 香蕉视频直播淭hrough music we understand what we are thinking and feeling. No matter what challenge life presents, I am at home with my piano, on a stage, with my band, in the studio, listening to music. I can find my way when I hear music.香蕉视频直播�

In 2022, Beyonc茅 placed Flack, Franklin and Diana Ross among others in a special pantheon of heroines name-checked in the Grammy-nominated 香蕉视频直播淨ueens Remix香蕉视频直播� of 香蕉视频直播淏reak My Soul.香蕉视频直播�

Flack was briefly married to Stephen Novosel, an interracial relationship that led to tension with each of their families, and earlier had a son, the singer and keyboardist Bernard Wright. For years, she lived in Manhattan香蕉视频直播檚 Dakota apartment building, on the same floor as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who became a close friend and provided liner notes for a Flack album of Beatles covers, 香蕉视频直播淟et It Be Roberta.香蕉视频直播� She also devoted extensive time to the Roberta Flack School of Music, based in New York and attended mostly by students between ages 6 to 14.

Roberta Cleopatra Flack, the daughter of musicians, was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and raised in Arlington, Virginia. After graduating from Howard, she taught music in D.C.-area junior high schools for several years in her 20s, while performing after hours in clubs.

She sometimes backed other singers, but her own shows at Washington香蕉视频直播檚 renowned Mr. Henry香蕉视频直播檚 attracted such celebrity patrons as Burt Bacharach, Ramsey Lewis and Johnny Mathis. The club香蕉视频直播檚 owner, Henry Yaffe, converted an apartment directly above into a private studio, the Roberta Flack Room.

香蕉视频直播淚 wanted to be successful, a serious all-round musician,香蕉视频直播� she told The Telegraph in 2015. 香蕉视频直播淚 listened to a lot of Aretha, the Drifters, trying to do some of that myself, playing, teaching.香蕉视频直播�

Flack was signed to Atlantic Records and her debut album, 香蕉视频直播淔irst Take,香蕉视频直播� a blend of gospel, soul, flamenco and jazz, came out in 1969. One track was a love song by the English folk artist Ewan MacColl: 香蕉视频直播淭he First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,香蕉视频直播� written in 1957 for his future wife, singer Peggy Seeger. Flack not only knew of the ballad, but used it while working with a glee club during her years as an educator.

香蕉视频直播淚 was teaching at Banneker Junior High in Washington, D.C. It was part of the city where kids weren香蕉视频直播檛 that privileged, but they were privileged enough to have music education. I really wanted them to read music. First, I香蕉视频直播檇 get their attention. (Flack starts singing a Supremes hit) 香蕉视频直播楽top, in the name of love.香蕉视频直播� Then I could teach them!香蕉视频直播� she told the Tampa Bay Times in 2012.

香蕉视频直播淵ou have to do all sorts of things when you香蕉视频直播檙e dealing with kids in the inner-city,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚 knew they香蕉视频直播檇 like the part where (香蕉视频直播楾he First Time Ever I Saw Your Face香蕉视频直播�) goes 香蕉视频直播楾he first time ever I kissed your mouth.香蕉视频直播� Ooh, 香蕉视频直播楰issed your mouth!香蕉视频直播� Once the kids got past the giggles, we were good.香蕉视频直播�

Hillel Italie, The Associated Press